to developers: how to boost sales

[Cwl]

Originally Posted by Revvin

Well I'm viewing it as a gamer and I see no sense in your renaming idea



Online is empty because of other issues in the game like people not being credited for kills when a player ditches for example, that really takes away the enthusiasm for getting online, the xbox forums are not as busy as somethign like Halo but the IL-2 community has always been here, the XBOX forums only appeared shortly before the game shipped so the community was already right here where there is plenty of discussion going on.



So....what you're saying is they need a recognisable brand but now you say forget the work gone into making the IL-2 franchise known on the console format, throw all that out and start from scrath for the next game...wow you're a marketing genius!



If you put 'Mustang' on the front of the box more people are going to buy it thinking its a driving game or stand in the shop looking at the box wondering what the hell the game is suppossed to be. The name 'Mustang' is far more synonomous with the car than the plane. Lets not stop there though lets make them really recognisable for the masses 'Hulk Hogans WWII Royal Rumble in the Skies'? the 'Red Bull Racing WWII Edition'? 'GI Joes Air War'?

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

[Wissam24]

I'm not a massive history buff, but I love my planes, and I had heard of the Il-2. Don't assume that because you don't know something, no one else does either. That is a very foolish and stupid thing to do, and will get you nowhere in life. DO assume that a proper publishing company, one that has a virtual monopoly of the software industry in Russia, is a lot better at market research than you, a person who is not a company

[Smidlee]

The OP does have a point. I didn't buy IL-2 (PC version) for a long time because of the name. Even after I got the game I didn't care to fly the IL-2 plane.

What could have really boost the sales was to bring the game to the Wii and put Mario in the title. "Mario Plane: Birds of Sunshine"? (j/k)

[Cwl]

Originally Posted by Wissam24

I'm not a massive history buff, but I love my planes, and I had heard of the Il-2. Don't assume that because you don't know something, no one else does either. That is a very foolish and stupid thing to do, and will get you nowhere in life. DO assume that a proper publishing company, one that has a virtual monopoly of the software industry in Russia, is a lot better at market research than you, a person who is not a company

Ive known what the sturmovik was for years before the game came out, im a historian. I just happen to know that most people dont know any names of ww2 planes except spitfire etc

[Revvin]

Originally Posted by Cwl

this is my last post on the topic. ive said all that needs to be said.

That was 3 posts ago, since then you've done nothing but regurgitate the same badly made points.

Originally Posted by Cwl

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

The vast majority of people attribute the name 'Mustang' to a car which just causes more confusion not to mention the confusion caused by putting a different plane name in front of 'Birds of Prey' in different regions. That doesn't create a brand it causes mass confusion as people wonder if its the 'Mustang' version they heard the Americans have is a newer version..should they wait? should they buy this 'Spitfire' version, will it be compatible with the 'Mustang' version? all questions the average consumer will have standing in the shop and most likely end up walking out of empty handed, wtg champ great idea!

Originally Posted by Cwl

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

They have a recognisable brand name to many users - the IL-2 Sturmovik brand. They have that right here right now and also a growing number of console users new to the game and genre who will now recognise the game and yet you want to throw that away and start again. You talk about building a brand then in the same post talk of throwing it all away, is it any wonder people in this thread have trouble taking you seriously?

Originally Posted by Cwl

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

The Spitfire is recognisable in to many US and UK users and thats what appears on the front cover shooting down a Stuka, there's your iconic aircraft on the front cover with a recognisable brand name 'IL-2 Sturmovik' I'd say they have both bases covered there.

[Buggins]

Originally Posted by Cwl

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

You just don't get it through your thick head do you? Please tell me you're twelve?

[Wissam24]

By historian, I assume you mean you're studying history GCSE. Because that would explain the terribly constructed arguments, that a real historian would never use.

[Cwl]

my arguement isn't flawed.

the sturmovik is something nobody has ever heard of, apart from a few hardcore PC guys.

the spitfire is something most people know.

create a new brand.

this would increase sales.

so far the sluggish sales of this game prove Im right.

[loopdreams]

I think the sluggish sales are a reflection of the fact that a lot of console gamers are just looking for something familiar, either the latest "ooh-rah" FPS or a game based on whatever sport they're into. A flight sim is always going to be a hard sell but I think that BoP is a solid game which will pick up a following by word of mouth even if initial sales aren't exactly stellar.

[Revvin]

Originally Posted by Cwl

my arguement isn't flawed.

the sturmovik is something nobody has ever heard of, apart from a few hardcore PC guys.

the spitfire is something most people know.

Take a look at the box then, there's a group of Spitfire's shooting down a Stuka. The more you keep harping on the IL-2 and ignoring the box art makes me wonder if you actually own the game at all.

Originally Posted by Cwl

create a new brand.

this would increase sales.

so far the sluggish sales of this game prove Im right.

They have a brand, its the established 8 year old IL-2 Sturmovik brand. Known worldwide by many which for a niche product is better than starting from scratch. They take those many users familiar with the name and then add those new to the flight sim genre and build from there. Sluggish sales? really where is your data to back up that claim? The data we have had is very encouraging that the demo was downloaded over a million times. Flight sims are a niche product on the PC format, until now we've had flying themed games on the console but nothing as realistic as IL-2:BoP. Its breaking new ground and was never going to sell like Halo or Gran Turismo.